Duxbury, MN
Duxbury, MN
Population: 2
Yesterday we went up to Duxbury, to check out the 80 acre private hunting grounds that the extended family holds in trust. Very pretty location, if way out of the way, and the surrounding area being mostly all public hunting grounds which of course experiences floods of hunters during the various seasons.
This is a pic of the nearly collapsed chicken coop and the firepit that the local Indian Reservation kids like to trespass and come drink around:
Originally the property belonged to a Great Uncle, who lived, farmed, and hunted the area as a bachelor. When he died the extended family bought it out from under the state to keep it in the family. Unfortunately though, everyone has busy modern lives and the place is still in the process of being cleaned up and refurbished (like installing indoor plumbing since the out house is about to collapse as well). There's all kinds of rusted out cars, refrigerators, trailers, tricycles, and tools in the overgrown yard (here's a rusted tiller):
There's talk of organizing a family reunion / work party to get the property in shape. That'd bring in about at least 100 work ready folks.... *not used to big families @_o *
Craig ended up with a parting gift from the property that we didn't find out about later.
Now about Duxbury... it's not even an intersection. Just a gravel road and off to one side of the road is the Duxbury Store -- Eatery, Gas Station, Fire Warden, Hunting Licensor, provider of Snow Plowing Services, orphaned fawn raising, and all around general place of buiness, social or otherwise (the Sheriff stopped by to swap gossip just as we were leaving):
Duxbury really does have a population of 2, the husband and wife that run the store -- and yeah sure it's a tourist trap of sorts. We were treated rather gaurdedly until it was discovered that the wife had a highschool crush on another of my father-in-law's uncles, that's when we got treated like family, even being regaled with tales while we ate the best burgers in the world (tiny buns and inch thick patties - the way that old lady in the 80's Wendy's commercials would have wanted them).
Oh yeah, and this pic is for Frown (who has a fake deer butt hanging on his wall), this one came in two parts but I forgot to snap a pic of the deer's front coming through the wall on the inside (next to the defunct vinyl record juke box - 5 plays for a dime):
On the way back we were finally able to stop for a photo of a Snowmobile Crossing sign which I find utterly hilarious and yet scary at the same time (that'd be way to much snow for me):
And this pic was just me being fascinated with the oak trees in the front yard of Aunt Mona's (where we had dinner last night):
Oh yeah and about that parting gift that Craig picked up... it was a tick. XD
Being city folk we were freaking out wondering how to get rid of it. Until I remembered we had internet access and I found all the answers I could possibly want (and then some... now we gotta watch for Lyme Disease >_< ! ). *phew*
And so... today things are winding up and we fly back tonight.
There's so much I've experienced on this trip that I'm barely scratching the surface of it here, but at least I can say I've had lots and lots of fun. ^_^
~Liriel
Population: 2
Yesterday we went up to Duxbury, to check out the 80 acre private hunting grounds that the extended family holds in trust. Very pretty location, if way out of the way, and the surrounding area being mostly all public hunting grounds which of course experiences floods of hunters during the various seasons.
This is a pic of the nearly collapsed chicken coop and the firepit that the local Indian Reservation kids like to trespass and come drink around:
Originally the property belonged to a Great Uncle, who lived, farmed, and hunted the area as a bachelor. When he died the extended family bought it out from under the state to keep it in the family. Unfortunately though, everyone has busy modern lives and the place is still in the process of being cleaned up and refurbished (like installing indoor plumbing since the out house is about to collapse as well). There's all kinds of rusted out cars, refrigerators, trailers, tricycles, and tools in the overgrown yard (here's a rusted tiller):
There's talk of organizing a family reunion / work party to get the property in shape. That'd bring in about at least 100 work ready folks.... *not used to big families @_o *
Craig ended up with a parting gift from the property that we didn't find out about later.
Now about Duxbury... it's not even an intersection. Just a gravel road and off to one side of the road is the Duxbury Store -- Eatery, Gas Station, Fire Warden, Hunting Licensor, provider of Snow Plowing Services, orphaned fawn raising, and all around general place of buiness, social or otherwise (the Sheriff stopped by to swap gossip just as we were leaving):
Duxbury really does have a population of 2, the husband and wife that run the store -- and yeah sure it's a tourist trap of sorts. We were treated rather gaurdedly until it was discovered that the wife had a highschool crush on another of my father-in-law's uncles, that's when we got treated like family, even being regaled with tales while we ate the best burgers in the world (tiny buns and inch thick patties - the way that old lady in the 80's Wendy's commercials would have wanted them).
Oh yeah, and this pic is for Frown (who has a fake deer butt hanging on his wall), this one came in two parts but I forgot to snap a pic of the deer's front coming through the wall on the inside (next to the defunct vinyl record juke box - 5 plays for a dime):
On the way back we were finally able to stop for a photo of a Snowmobile Crossing sign which I find utterly hilarious and yet scary at the same time (that'd be way to much snow for me):
And this pic was just me being fascinated with the oak trees in the front yard of Aunt Mona's (where we had dinner last night):
Oh yeah and about that parting gift that Craig picked up... it was a tick. XD
Being city folk we were freaking out wondering how to get rid of it. Until I remembered we had internet access and I found all the answers I could possibly want (and then some... now we gotta watch for Lyme Disease >_< ! ). *phew*
And so... today things are winding up and we fly back tonight.
There's so much I've experienced on this trip that I'm barely scratching the surface of it here, but at least I can say I've had lots and lots of fun. ^_^
~Liriel
posted by Ethan at 11:22 AM
8 Comments:
LOVE the Deer Butt, but mine's better!
As for symptoms of Lhyme disease, I've found excessive drinking and late night working hours to be a sure sign!
I love those trees! ...and the deer's arse! :P
I only want to make a small addition/correction on the commentary, because I think it might be of real interest more to Craig on the history of this property more than it is to the BadBlood readers.
Although the cabin will always be known as Uncle Oscar's Cabin the full story is that Craig's Great Grandmother worked as a house keeper for a nearby farmer back in the 30's. He built this small house and farm on a corner of his property for her and her boys that still lived at home. ( She was divorced from our Great Grandfather by then... and needed to farm as well as keep house to feed the family ). When the gentleman passed away he willed her the house, barn, surrounding buildings and 80 acres of land! Great Grandmother lived on this property until the late 60s - early 70s. At that time she moved to Minneapolis to live with one of her sons and his family until she died in 1982 at the age of 98. Another son, Oscar, bought the property from her and when he retired he moved up there permantly until he died about 4 years ago. The property is now in possession of another cousin who bought the property from the family. They use it mostly as a hunting cabin as Liriel mentioned. The cabin has only had running water for about 10 or so years now. When I was a kid, you had to hike down this steep hill to pump water out of a natural spring (then carry it in a bucket/jug back up the hill...), the same old rickety outhouse still sits outside the cabin. The barn has long since collapsed. Sadly, the county has had its eye on this property for some time to lease out as a gravel pit. I can't imagine all the trees bulldozed down and the place practically strip mined. Hopefully it will stay in the family for some time.
Cousin Bill
Man I wish I could be a house keeper and get treated like that :D ~!
Thanks Bill ;)
Hello,
I came across your blog while doing a map search of Duxbury, MN. I am 23 and live an hour north of the cities (MN) I spend almost every weekend in the fall in Duxbury. My parents have 320 acres a mile north of the store. I read you have a problem with trespassers... Perhaps in exchange for hunting rights I could check up on things keep people out ect. I'm a safe and educated bowhunter. Please feel free to email me at Sales@BigBearScent.com, I look forward to hearing from you
For information on Duxbury, MN, go to DuxburyNews.info It's a small town, but we keep the site updated.
I would also like to have the family contact me about the history of this property. You can reach me at Toni@DuxburyNews.info I hope to hear from you!
Hello. My name is Pam (Berry) Steffens. I am not sure if I may be a relative, but my paternal grandmother's maiden name was Duxbury. Her half brother, Lloyd served on the MN Legislation. Does this sound familiar to anyone in the Duxbury clan? Thanks, Pam
A man named Frank Duxbury was a land speculator who thought the railroad would come through that area and on that premise, sold land to folks who began farming and forming the rural community named as Duxbury. My grandfather, Archie Schmidt was raised on a farm two miles west of the crossroads, and he built and operated the Duxbury Store, which was later bought and operated by our relatives, Peter and Dorothy Dumas, and later bought and operated by my parents, Joe and Bev Vink. In the old photo albums, I recall seeing pix of Frank Duxbury, and also pix of his descendants who paid a visit to the Store during my mother’s time. My name is Micki, and I grew up there. We had a farm half a mile south of the Store, but moved to live at the crossroads building when I was 15.
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